After three consecutive wins, it seemed JJ Redick and the Lakers knew exactly what to expect from the Houston Rockets. They had the advantage of adapting while having a lead that has never failed NBA teams in the past. But instead of finding more loopholes in the Rockets, the Lakers have moved in the opposite direction. For the second straight game, the offense fell apart, prompting major concerns among fans.

Ryan Lucas, an LA beat writer, pointed to the “unpreparedness” displayed by the Lakers tonight. A successful strategy they implemented at first was sending double teams. It particularly worked with Kevin Durant as the ball handler. However, with Alperen Sengun making plays from the elbow, that same action didn’t help.

Sengun torched the Lakers’ defense with incisive passing. He had eight assists to show for it. However, the larger picture captures Houston’s improved offense. They had just 10 turnovers and 25 assists. With Amen Thompson and Sengun sharing playmaking duties, the Lakers’ double-teams just didn’t work.

You can also point to certain adjustments during the game. JJ Redick appointed Marcus Smart to run some plays even with LeBron James and Austin Reaves on the floor. Smart contributed to six of the 15 Laker turnovers. Luke Kennard, who is experiencing a cold stretch, played 31 minutes and had just a single point.

The Lakers lacked any inspiration in what should have been a hypothetical Game 7. This was a chance to close out the series and avoid going back to Houston. Now, with two straight losses on their backs, the Lakers are the ones searching for answers. The Rockets, even with a deficit still, look like the team that could move forward.

But out of all the errors, fans are narrowing down on JJ Redick’s failure to exploit LeBron James. They feel like the Lakers head coach has snatched James’ motivation.

Lakers fans implore JJ Redick to use Bronny James

One of the primary reasons behind the Lakers’ sudden performance decline relates to LeBron James. Over his last two games, the Akron Hammer has recorded 10 turnovers. He seems to have lost the pop in his step. And fans feel there’s a clear reason JJ Redick is unable to see. “Why did they bench Bronny?!?!?! LeBron was clearly accessing his supernatural powers from those father-son minutes,” a fan wrote.

In those first three games, the tandem shared 23 minutes together. The Lakers shot 46.2% from beyond the arc. Both James combined for a 10-0 run in Game 3, the last game the Lakers won. Since then, Bronny James hasn’t checked into the game except in the wasteful minutes of Game 4. “LeBron not locking in cause Bronny isn’t playing,” a fan noticed.

That was a common dialogue running inside the Laker Nation. The Guardian’s Claire De Lune wrote, “Sounds silly, but I think JJ not playing Bronny is zapping LeBron of his mid-game energy boost, and it’s not like his production could be much worse than some of their other bench options tonight”.

Stats somewhat back those claims up. When Bronny James was a regular in the rotations, his father averaged 25.3 points, 8.7 assists, and 2 steals while shooting 43.8% from beyond the arc. Over the last two games, LeBron James hasn’t recorded a single three-pointer, coincidentally not sharing a single minute with his son on the floor.

James has already said the best moments of his playing career are when he shares the floor with Bronny. Throwing a lob or even the simple task of setting a screen for Bronny James seemed to invigorate the four-time champion. “LeBron only doesn’t troll when Bronny is on the court, so just throw him in,” a fan wrote.

That came after some out-of-character moments in Game 5. James blew an easy layup under the rim in the fourth quarter and went 0/6 from three-point range. Psychologically, he may have the capabilities to beat ‘Father Time’ when Bronny James is able to make an impact on the Lakers’ playoff proceedings.

Some fans aren’t against that notion. In fact, they feel JJ Redick needs to back the “trust” he has in Bronny James more often. “LeBron puts up 30, Austin puts up 25, Marcus is smart again, Luke hits his threes, Ayton locks in, Jake LaRavia doesn’t play, Bronny takes Jake’s minutes, we winning ts,” a fan wrote.

It demands a lot from the Lakers’ starters. But that’s been the Lakers’ theme this season. Bronny James provides a better defensive cover when Kennard’s shots aren’t falling. And Redick’s on record speaking about the 21-year-old’s shooting improvements. Understandably, it’s difficult to integrate Bronny as a high-minute player in such a short time. But JJ Redick can surely use his skill set to create a similar game plan that saw the Lakers win three games.